MLB Free Agent Rumors: 3 Teams Best Fits for 3X Batting Champ Luis Arraez

He's a three-time All-Star with no less than three batting titles. Shouldn't there be a team willing to pony up for Luis Arraez? Unfortunately, despite his elite skills at handling the bat, the 28-year-old doesn't provide a lot of power or speed, and his defense (whether at first or second) is less than passable.

But strictly as a DH? Putting analytics aside, you could do worse than a 3x batting champion with a career .317 batting average.

Last season with the San Diego Padres, Arraez led the National League in hits with 181, while batting .292. His .719 OPS, however, just fell short of translating to a league-average mark (99 OPS+).

So which teams would make the best fit for the man who batted a robust .354 as recently as 2023?

Miami Marlins

The Fish are the team that Arraez posted that lofty mark with. He also generated a career-high .864 OPS that season, with 10 homers and 30 doubles.

Heading into 2026, there isn't a single first base candidate on the Marlins' roster that's a reliable starter at the position. They signed Christopher Morel, hoping he'll take over the spot. But he's never played 1B in his professional career. Other options currently include Graham Pauley, Griffin Conine, Liam Hicks, Heriberto Hernández, and Deyvison De Los Santos.

Right. Exactly. Arraez would be a huge upgrade on any of them.

Colorado Rockies

The Rox parted ways with first baseman Michael Toglia earlier this offseason, and since then have added a patchwork of potential first sackers, but none who inspire a lot of confidence. This week, they added a prospect in T.J. Rumfield in a trade with the NY Yankees. But can he make the jump from Triple-A?

They also dealt for Edouard Julien from the Minnesota Twins. He made 26 appearances at first last season, but that's not his most comfortable spot on the field, and again, not really a legit answer.

Despite those additions, Rockies president of baseball ops Paul DePodesta did admit that adding another first baseman isn't out of the question. "I think really what we’re trying to do is to create really healthy competition on our roster.”

Besides, it would be fun to see what a guy who can control the bat as well as Arraez could do in the thin air of Coors Field on a regular basis.

San Diego Padres

With Arraez in free agency, the Friars are left with a glaring hole at first. Shouldn't they be looking at bringing him back? Insider Robert Murray reported earlier this offseason that the Padres did have interest in keeping him, per president of baseball ops AJ Preller. And AJ Cassavell of mlb.com said earlier this month that it was pretty clear that the Pads are still looking for a first baseman. After all, they were in the bidding for corner man Kazuma Okamoto before he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Arraez won't cost a lot (he was projected to land a two-year deal worth $17M—that won't break the bank. Even for the Padres). So he still seems like the best fit for his incumbent team.